Jared Polis’ travel to Iraq and his reports from there have been described as everything from evidence that he would be an involved representative of Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District if elected, to a cheap publicity stunt designed to get votes.

If the reports from his travels are any indication as to how he would serve in Congress, I am both impressed and excited about the potential for change in Washington. Read more…

Everyone has an opinion about how long U.S. forces should remain in Iraq. After all, it’s a superpower’s prerogative to make these determinations. A large majority of Americans want our troops out sooner rather than later. Others, most notably the President, have floated the sobering idea that we might keep significant forces there for more than fifty years. Read more…

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress need to disabuse themselves of the idea that Iraqi’s must “step up” to quell the violence there. By international law, the security of a nation under occupation is the responsibility of the occupier. The, as yet unspecified, number of military bases, the larger-than-the-Vatican embassy in Baghdad, and the insistence that over 75% of Iraq’s oil reserves be given to Western oil companies indicate that the Administration’s goal all along has been a long term, dominant role there. Read more…

Recent Islamic persecution of Iraqi Christians is an outrage to the civilized world. According to one news source, only a handful of Christians can be seen in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Baghdad or St. Mary’s Church in Kirkuk. Read more…

How is this supposed to work? Once we kill ALL the militants we’ve inspired in Iraq, then, finally, we’ll be able to leave? All cultures – certainly proud developing Muslim cultures – foster a powerful sense of loyalty, nationalism, and patriotism. The extreme indignities suffered by the Iraqi people – both actual and perceived – at the hand of our incompetence and self-concern will not be easily forgotten. The opportunity for us to restore stability in Iraq has passed. Read more…

On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, President Bush pleaded for patience. Give the new offensive a chance to work, he said. But the debate over whether to give the “surge” a chance distracts from what really matters: the U.S. occupation per se. Read more…

Vincent Carroll is The Denver Post's editorial page editor. He has been writing commentary on politics and public policy in Colorado since 1982 and was originally with the Rocky Mountain News, where he was also editor of the editorial pages until that newspaper gave up the ghost in 2009.

Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

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